Relax word meaning and definition

[verb] cause to feel relaxed; "A hot bath always relaxes me"
[verb] become less tense, rest, or take one's ease; "He relaxed in the hot tub"; "Let's all relax after a hard day's work"
[verb] become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed"
[verb] make less tight; "relax the tension on the rope"
[verb] make less active or fast; "He slackened his pace as he got tired"; "Don't relax your efforts now"
[verb] become less severe or strict; "The rules relaxed after the new director arrived"
[verb] make less severe or strict; "The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught"
[verb] become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner; "our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group"

\Re*lax"\ (r?-l?ks"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Relaxed} (-l?kst"); p. pr. & vb. n. {Relaxing}.] [L. relaxare; pref. re- re- + laxare to loose, to slacken, from laxus loose. See {Lax}, and cf. {Relay}, n., {Release}.] 1. To make lax or loose; to make less close, firm, rigid, tense, or the like; to slacken; to loosen; to open; as, to relax a rope or cord; to relax the muscles or sinews. Horror . . . all his joints relaxed. --Milton. Nor served it to relax their serried files. --Milton. 2. To make less severe or rigorous; to abate the stringency of; to remit in respect to strenuousness, earnestness, or effort; as, to relax discipline; to relax one's attention or endeavors. The statute of mortmain was at several times relaxed by the legislature. --Swift. 3. Hence, to relieve from attention or effort; to ease; to recreate; to divert; as, amusement relaxes the mind. 4. To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open; as, an aperient relaxes the bowels. Syn: To slacken; loosen; loose; remit; abate; mitigate; ease; unbend; divert.
\Re*lax"\, v. i. 1. To become lax, weak, or loose; as, to let one's grasp relax. His knees relax with toil. --Pope. 2. To abate in severity; to become less rigorous. In others she relaxed again, And governed with a looser rein. --Prior. 3. To remit attention or effort; to become less diligent; to unbend; as, to relax in study.
\Re*lax"\, n. Relaxation. [Obs.] --Feltham.
\Re**lax"\, a. Relaxed; lax; hence, remiss; careless.

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